Lots to "like" about TSLA...

The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) Facebook page has been very active lately with updates on several events and programs going on at TSLA...


The Chronicling America Project
First, we're proud to announce the addition of more than 1 million newspaper pages to the Chronicling America project, making historical newspapers from Greeneville, Jonesborough, Memphis, Sweetwater, and Winchester freely available on the Internet. These newspapers focus on the period from the 1850s to almost 1900. In cooperation with the University of Tennessee, TSLA has already provided more than 120,000 pages of historical Tennessee newspapers to the site. In the previous phase of the project, TSLA focused its efforts on digitizing newspapers from the Civil War era, roughly 1850 through 1875.


Saturday Workshop Series
On Saturday, October 26th at 9:30 am, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) is hosting the latest in its series of workshops, titled "Andrew Jackson: Frontiersman or Elite Southerner?" Dr. Mark R. Cheathem, author of the recently published book, Andrew Jackson, Southerner, will lead the workshop. Dr. Cheathem is an associate professor of history at Cumberland University in Lebanon. In addition to Andrew Jackson: Southerner (2013), he is the author of Old Hickory’s Nephew: The Political and Private Struggles of Andrew Jackson Donelson (2007).

Those wishing to attend this free workshop must contact TSLA to reserve a seat as the number of attendees is limited. Due to construction, parking is limited around the Library and Archives building. Patrons can register by telephone by calling 615-741-2764, or by e-mail at: workshop.tsla@tn.gov.


Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month
And last but certainly not least, people who visit the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) during the month of October will have an opportunity to see award-winning artwork created by students from the Tennessee School for the Blind. This is the fourth year TSLA has displayed art from the school to commemorate "Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month," an annual event sponsored by Art Education for the Blind, a New York-based nonprofit organization.

"Dot" the tiger is the mascot of the Tennessee School for the Blind's athletic department. Constructed entirely of Braille Paper Mache, Dot represents a "team effort" of all the art classes at Tennessee School for the Blind.

This free exhibit is located in the lobby of TSLA’s building at 403 Seventh Avenue North in downtown Nashville. The library is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Among the items in the exhibit is a paper mache version of "Dot," a tiger who serves as the school’s mascot, that is on permanent loan to TSLA. Visitors are encouraged to feel the texture of the scraps of braille paper used to make the nearly life-sized tiger.

For more updates like this, we encourage you to "like" us on Facebook, and continue following the TSLA Blog for additional features.
 

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

Secretary of State Premieres Tennessee State Capitol Documentary

It has endured an army occupation, the interment of two of its founding fathers, and a car cruising through its hallways. Not to mention its role as the site of many of the most important events in Tennessee's history. The Tennessee State Capitol building has many great stories to tell - and some of those stories were revealed in a documentary about the building that premiered last week. In attendance were state legislators, department commissioners, representatives from preservation groups and others.

State Capitol during the dedication of the Andrew Jackson statue. A crowd has gathered on the hill, the street and the roof of the Capitol building.

The documentary was created by the staff of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. It is the first part of a project that will eventually include a virtual tour of the Capitol building and its grounds, and feature stories about the building and influential people in Tennessee history.

When completed, the entire project will be burned onto DVDs that will be distributed to schools throughout the state. The project is a result of the Tennessee General Assembly's approval of Public Chapter No. 557, sponsored by Representative Jim Coley and Senator Ken Yager.

For more information, we encourage you to read the entire press release of this story, where you will find a link to the documentary and historic images of the Capitol on our website. The documentary and information on the images used in the film are available at www.capitol.tnsos.net. Additionally, the virtual tour, mini-features, and fun stories about the Tennessee State Capitol will be available soon.

Tennessee State Capitol: Grounded in Tradition from Tennessee Department of State on Vimeo.

  

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

Happy Birthday TSLA!

Today, on our Facebook page, we recognize the 60th anniversary of the current Tennessee State Library and Archives building. On June 17, 1953, our facility opened to the public. Since then, thousands of people have visited to research a wide variety of subjects.

To celebrate this occasion, we encourage you to "Like" us on Facebook. Better yet, please visit us in person on 403 Seventh Avenue North in Nashville or online at http://tn.gov/tsla/index.htm.

Workers move boxes of records into the new Tennessee State Library and Archives building, near the end of construction, in 1953. Pictured in foreground are Clinton Parrent, architect, and Dr. Dan Robison, State Librarian & Archivist. Tennessee Historical Society Picture Collection.

 The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.